The only thing my mother ever asked me to bring home from the bakery where I worked in high school where almond horn cookies, or Mandelhörnchen, probably no surprise as we are a family of established marzipan fiends, most especially when dark chocolate is also involved. Chewy at the center with crunchy edges, the best ones are dipped in chocolate and while I have yet to see them also with rainbow sprinkles, I say there’s no time like the present to make this a Thing.
If you have no soft spot for almond paste or almond extract, you should turn away now. It’s almost all they’re made of. They’re also naturally flourless, gluten-, leavener- and dairy-free (if you use a dairy-free chocolate); the last time we had a cookie that checked all of these boxes it was all I could talk about for the next six months.
Had I realized how simple they were to make and that they would come out looking exactly as pretty as they do at bakeries, I would have made them at a couple years, cough, decades sooner. Unless you live in Germany and every corner bakery makes them (this is how I picture Germany, by the way, each corner with a hundreds year-old shop brimming with streuselkuchens and strudels and poppy seed everything, please don’t break my heart with the truth if I’m wrong, okay?), you should make these at home, and soon.
***
So, of course I could never leave things well enough alone because I know not everyone can get good almond paste at the corner bodega, I attempted to make them with homemade almond paste. Alas, while my first attempt tasted exactly right, the cookies I made with it flattened out. I have a lot more experimenting to do; until then, storebought almond paste is as reliable as it gets.
Previously
One year ago: Caramelized Oranges with Yogurt and Mint and Potato Pizza, Even Better
Two years ago: Wild Mushroom Pate and Why You Should Always Toast Your Nuts
Three years ago: Three-Bean Chili and Asparagus-Stuffed Eggs
Four years ago: Spinach and Smashed Egg Toasts
Five years ago: Over-The-Top Mushroom Quiche
Six years ago: French Onion Soup
Seven years ago: Baked Kale Chips, Almond Macaroon Torte with Chocolate Frosting and Tangy Spiced Brisket
Eight years ago: Chewy Amaretti Cookies and Artichoke Olive Crostini
Nine years ago: Swiss Easter Rice Tart and Shaker Lemon Pie
Ten years ago: Arugula Ravioli and Mixed Berry Pavlova
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Soup and Skillet-Baked Pasta with Five Cheeses
1.5 Years Ago: S’More Cupcakes
2.5 Years Ago: The Crispy Egg
3.5 Years Ago: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl
4.5 Years Ago: Spaghetti with Broccoli Cream Pesto
Almond Horns
Traditional Mandelhörnchen are quite large; these are smaller (about 3 to 4 inches across).
Luisa Weiss says in her recipe that she prefers to get chocolate in each bite and not just at the ends; to do so, she simply spreads the chocolate down the back of the cookie instead of dipping the ends. For this, you might find you need a little less chocolate (about 4 ounces) because you won’t need a volume that is dippable.
- 7 ounces (198 grams) almond paste
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- Two pinches of sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup (130 grams) sliced almonds, blanched are more traditional
- 6 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips (about 1 cup)
- Colored sprinkles (optional, but not really)
Make cookie dough: Cut, tear or grate paste and place in bowl with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. (Mine was quite soft, so I just dropped it in in hand-torn chunks.) Add sugar and beat, covering lip of bowl with dishtowel to get bits from flying out, until almond paste cannot be broken up any further, approximately 3 to 5 minutes at a medium-high speed. Add egg white and salt and beat until uniform and creamy. Place sliced almonds in a wide-shallow bowl or plate. Have another bowl with water to get your hands wet.
Form cookies: Wet hands and scoop 1 tablespoon of dough (can use a measuring spoon, a little overfilled is fine) into your palms. It’s going to be very soft and you’re going to think something has gone very wrong; it it has not. Just keep your hands wet and roll it into a 4-ish inch log (I just stretched it across my hand, as you can see in the photo above) and drop it into the bowl of almonds. Wipe your hands dry on a towel (or the almonds stick to your hands, pulling them off the cookie) and roll log through it. Again, it’s quite soft and will seem weird at first but do you best and transfer the soft almond-covered log to the prepared tray and arc it into a horn shape. Press any loose almonds back on. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake cookies: For 15 minutes, or until almonds on cookies are gently toasted and horns are puffed. Let cool completely.
To finish: Melt chocolate in a small bowl and dip ends of cookies into it, then return to parchment-lined tray to set. Add sprinkles (optional, but of course you want to).
Do ahead: Once chocolate is set, these keep in a tin for a week.
This was the recipe I bookmarked in Luisa’s book. So happy to know it’s a keeper.
I’m a complete marzipan junkie and if it’s got almond paste in it and is sitting in a glass bakery case, it’s the one I’ll choose. For those unsure of being able to find almond paste. I was delighted to find it – discounted! – in a regular grocery store right around the new year. It seemed that management decided almond paste was strictly a Christmastime food. Obviously I bought all of them.
If you have Soframiz, the new cookbook by Ana Sortun, there are some choice recipes for almond paste baked goods.
The Classic German Baking book is SO GOOD.
I’m trying these with aquafaba tonight! My crazy, vegan marzipan-loving family thanks you!
Please post how they turn out with the substitution!! Thanks :)
These have been a family favorite for a couple of years now, I wanted to leave a quick tip on what works for me:
I use a flat spatula, scoop it into the almond pile. I take the dough, form the horn first and then place it onto the almond covered spatula. Next I sprinkle almond overtop or the horn and lightly pat them on and use the spatula to transfer onto my baking sheet. This reduces the handling of this finicky dough and I get prettier horns as a result!
How did the aquafaba go? I’d love to give this a shot for my vegan almond loving hubs.
So pretty and look delicious! No, you are correct, that is how it is in Germany…at least in Munich, where I lived. Whenever we go on a vacation to a foreign place, the bakery is the first place we go. Always such a treat to find baked goods we do not usually find in the U.S.A. I would love to make these! Thanks, Deb!
My girlfriend and I are HUGE lovers of everything almond…except marzipan. I think it’s a texture thing, and maybe also that I’ve only ever had marzipan that seemed to be about 20 years old and more decoration than food.
Anyway, I’m hesitant. I’ve never cooked with almond paste, but I love baking with almond butter. I googled the difference; do you think this recipe would work with butter instead of paste? I can see using this as a way to use up the almost-rock-hard almond butter at the bottom of the jar when it didn’t get mixed properly… or I could hold my breath and try paste. These do look and sound so delicious; how could they not be?
No. Almond butter is solely ground up almonds (much like peanut butter), but almond paste is finely ground almonds, sugar, and some stabilizers that’s slightly moldable/malleable. Definitely try the almond paste!
I agree. Almond butter is very different, oily. These cookies are not, oil will make them flat.
The dough seems very similar to traditional Danish almond celebration cake comprised of stacked rings, called kransekage (kransekake in Swedish)
These cakes do exist in Denmark, they are known as ‘Nøddehorn’ or ‘Mandelhorn’. And yes, they are essentially almond topped kransekage.
Deb, what is the general almond/sugar ratio in what you call almond paste?
I’m pretty sure it’s the same thing which is sold here as ‘marcipan’ (about 2/3 almond to 1/3 sugar), but not 100%.
Yes, I’d like to know too. I went to my local Dutch bakery and asked for almond paste. She said their almond paste has egg and spices added, and what I really wanted was marzipan. So that’s what I got. I haven’t made them yet, but even if they end up as a puddle, it will be a delicious puddle!
My grandson can’t have eggs. What can I substitute.thanks we love these.
Thank you for this recipe! I am OBSESSED with these cookies but I’ve never made them. What brand of almond paste do you recommend?
I like the Odense brand.
I agree too – Odense is a good easily procurable brand. I use it for David Lebovitz’s wonderful almond cake.
Deb, I’m shocked how easy this recipe is! But then, I’m not. I adore all things almond flavored and Almond Horns from a good local bakery were a necessary part of my pregnancy plan. Way back when. And when I think back and remember, I bet your recipe will replicate them pretty closely. Really, aside from the sliced almonds & chocolate dunk ornamentation, they were just ALL ALMOND PASTE. Not cake-y, cookie-y, bread-y at all. Just that heavenly uber-almond paste-y chew! Thanks for sharing.
Omg David’s almond cake is my absolute favourite. A must a Christmas
I order wonderful almond paste in one-pound bricks from these nice people in Holland, Michigan & shred it with a box grater before I use it.
http://thedutchstore.com/WEBSTORE/PRODUCT.ASPX?CODE=106&LIST=104A106&TYPE=ITEMCATEGORY&KEY=almond+paste
Agree with the tip about grating the almond paste on a box grater. It works great and cuts down on the time needed to combine it with the sugar and the “flying paste” phenomena. Yes, one more thing to wash, but in this case it is worth it!
German bakeries are a great reason to visit. Other reasons are: technology, cleanliness, beauty, ease of transportation, wursts, beer, and spaetzle. (Not necessarily in order of importance!) My heritage called me there, and seeing these cookies it is calling me back ( even louder) this time. Thank you Deb they look great. You need to put Germany on your list. It is an amazingly emotional, and beautiful trip when you have “roots” there.
Ahhhh Lauren!!! You Speak “my language” for visiting Germany – Munich especially!! I LOVE your list of ‘reasons’, and “not necessarily in that order!!!” PROST!
To round out the Europian experience in delicious cakes and biscuits Austria and Bohemia are not to be missed.
These are DELICIOUS with apricot or raspberry jam on the sides then dipped in chocolate! There was a bakery near me that used to do that then they closed. I’m so grateful to find this link so I can now EASILY make my own! Thank you!!
You forgot the heaven of spargel season!!!!
“… where I worked in high school where almond horn cookies.”
Double “where” – I think you meant “were” almond cookies?
Deer gramma police, was that comment necessary???!!
These are on the list! We have an OldeSkool Italian bakery in our town that makes these and they are FANTASTIC. But hey, homemade is better!
Thanks for including that the homemade almond paste version flattened out; that’s the route I intend to try and the ingredients are on hand. I’ll report back after this weekend to see if I had better luck.
LMCKEE2013: thanks for that link!
Sad, flat sheets of cookie is exactly what happened when I tried to make these from a recipe in Classic German baking! I bought my almond paste at a bulk store – maybe the equivalent of homemade? I drizzled the results with chocolate and cut it into diamonds and they were delicious but … not exactly what I was going for ;). I blamed my poor sweet baking skills but maybe it’s worth trying again!
I made this recipe the first time and it worked. THe second time they were very flat. I wonder if very large eggs produce too much egg white (too liquid like?).
Can you make these by any other method without using a stand up mixer? Asking for a friend who loves these cookies but only has a hand mixer or blender
A handmixer should be fine
I was recently gifted a 1 kg roll of marzipan (!). Now I know what I’ll be doing with it. Perfect timing to make these for Easter weekend. 🐰🐥
I was indifferent about almond pastries until I moved to Pittsburgh. I lived down the street from a French bakery and all of my favorites had almond paste (brioche bostock, chocolate almond croissant, some of their tarts). I will definitely give these a try for Easter. Also, I didn’t realize that almond horns were almost pure almond paste. I always assumed it was a sugar cookie with almond extract.
You are almost right. In Germany, the pubs selling beer on on the corners. In between are the bakeries, cheese shops, sausage shops and umbrella stores (unfortunately it rains a lot there)
Not only are there bakeries everywhere, but Luebeck in the north is home to Niederegger, which specializes in marzipan treats! They have a giant two-story cafe and shop with the most beautiful shaped and painted marzipan treats, and marzipan in chocolate, and marzipan cakes and tortes and cookies … and mandelhoernchen, of course. It’s basically the FAO Schwartz of almond flavored sweets.
Incidentally, my kids and I watched the end of “Trolls” for the first time yesterday, and Poppy tells everybody that happiness does not come from what you eat. I get it, but, I mean, really. Maybe she’d never seen tiny peaches and grape clusters made out of ground up almonds?
I’m pretty sure Poppy is one of those crazies who only eats to live, and that the kind of crazy I just can’t relate to (and I relate to so many crazies). I say this having never seen Trolls, and in my head, the plot is like the BFG, but with trolls instead of giants.
Oh my! This sounds absolutely delightful! I’ll definitely be trying these out for myself soon!! x
Victoria | VictoriaaHelenn
You imagine our bakeries exactly right! All (!) of the bakeries in my city sell Streuselkuchen, Strudel and Mandelhörnchen. And about 15 different breads, 10-15 types of bread rolls and a cake you should make next: Butterkuchen.
Thinking of bringing these to a Seder. Are they kosher for Passover? (Leaving aside that they’d be prepared by a non-Jew. They’re not that strict.)
Assuming they don’t care if each individual ingredient is certified kosher for Passover, they should be. They don’t have any yeast or wheat flour which is generally what you’d be wanting to avoid. Eggs are pareve so it shouldn’t matter whether it’s a milk or meat meal. (Seders are usually meat.) The only thing I’d be cautious about would be the sprinkles, not sure what’s in those.
That’s exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you so much!
Lovely idea. But if your hosts are strictly kosher for Passover, the cookies would have to be made with utensils that are also kosher for Passover. Maybe check with them first.
I think you’d be OK if you poured boiling water over all the utensils, pans, bowls, etc. used to make it right? Boiling water is considered a way to cleanse all chametz from kitchen counters at least, by most Rabbis.
The oven baked in would need to be kashered as well, if they’re strict about keeping kosher.
That said, it depends on the family. *I’m* not that strict, and don’t even kasher my own stuff for Pesach.
I know what I’m doing this weekend!
Hello there, I am German and I still live here.-) and I eat a lot of these Mandelhörnchen and everything else with marzipan. If I make them myself I would just use marzipan, I never heard of almond paste and marzipan is a more natural ingredient as there was stabilizers mentioned that are in the almond paste.
BR, Kali
You can find commercial almond paste and marzipan with and without stabilizers. I concur with your desire to stick with “natural” products, but stabilizers (and food additives generally) are not necessarily “unnatural.” Pectin, carrageenan, even starch are all common stabilizers.
(I once tried homemade almond paste and had a similar outcome.)
I blend the sugar and almond paste together with my pastry cutter
Last summer I started stopping in at the Hungarian Pastry Shop every Friday night for an almond crescent and an iced coffee. Theirs are huge and delightful and now having this recipe is very dangerous because it isn’t limited to summer Fridays and also includes chocolate.
I’ve never made almond horns, but I’ve pondered this question since I had my first almond horn at Trader Joe’s and wondered why it wasn’t double chocoalte. Do you think it would be possible to add in cocoa powder to the dough without effecting the texture (I’ll be using marzipan because I cannot for the life of me find almond paste and shipping to New Zealand is too absurdly expensive to order it from afar)?
@Deanna, make it!
I know Deb said it is too soft for this recipe and i have had that experience too, but give it a go and work with it from frozen.. that has worked for me.
This is a reliable recipe I have used several times because it is cheaper for me to make almond paste that buy it in my city
https://food52.com/blog/10408-how-to-make-almond-paste-from-scratch
I used this recipe to make my own almond paste. It makes enough almond paste to double Deb’s recipe for the cookies. I would recommend reducing the egg whites as part of the cookie recipe when using homemade almond paste – I needed more than 1 but less than 2 whites from large eggs.
Right up my alley- can’t wait!
Also want to say thanks for bringing “Classic German Baking” to our attention. I got it for my (German but 30+ yrs in Canada) mother for her birthday and she and my (half-German) father flipped over it. They have both made a few things from the book to rave results. I plan to get myself a copy soon too. I will send them this post with a hint ;)
I love Mandelhörnchen! You should try to make Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars; but really you can make them any shape; I do). They are all made of ground almond. These are my favorite Christmas cookies. I made one of the recipe variation from a German magazine (forgive my unprofessional blog look( working on something a little more attractive atm), but I figured the link could still be of interest for you if you like anything almond/marzipan based): https://howlskitchen.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/71/
Thanks for this wonderful blog as well. I’ve been checking in for years now (a German friend of mine mention it a few years back!).
Ah! You bring my mother’s cookies back to me! I think I might need to make these for Easter in honor of her amazing ways to celebrate each holiday when she was with us. Thanks, Deb!
These cookies seem Passover approved. I may try baking these over the weekend – to make sure they look like yours before taking them to a sedar. I love almonds. Chocolate and sprinkles as well. I have a gigantic Restaurant Depot size sprinkle container.
These Look Amazing!
Have you tried the Swedish biskvi? Almond paste macaroon base, chocolate buttercream, dipped in dark chocolate. One of my favorites!
For me growing up in NY, near to the German shop, they were sold also in our local Italian bakery right next to the mini cannoli. Thank you for a new version to try- and they do look perfect! And an added thanks for citing it in grammes.
These look and sound fantastic :D
It’s so nice to see you posting those german sweets :)
As many wrote before, you are pretty much right with your picture of german bakeries.
Ahh, now I’m getting homesick ;)
Best regards from Norway!
I have had similar flattened results with homemade almond paste with other cookie recipes. Would love to know if you work out a homemade version that works!
Deb, I have found that the brands of almond paste differ, sometimes hugely, in how “wet” they are. I make adjustments with the amount of egg white
and use powdered sugar instead of granulated. I usually shortcut these and
just make round balls, rolled in the almonds and drizzle the chocolate. I know, lazy, and then they aren’t horns, but they taste good!
That’s what I was going to try–rounds with chocolate drizzle.
Funny, I nearly made these two days ago (before your post) but used the almond paste I had to make almond shortbread instead. Guess I’ll have to go buy more paste.
Oh, dear lord. I wasn’t going to make macaroons for my Seder; I have my grandmother’s good-enough-but-the-point-is-it’s-what-I-grew-up-with cake, and that Marcy Goldman matzoh crack (David Lebovitz version) and surely that is enough? I guess not. Thank you many times over; I love these things to death and never dreamed of making them.
Your link to homemade almond paste goes just to a photo. Do you have a recommended almond paste recipe? Thanks!
Do you think this can be doubled or to much for the mixer to handle at once. Need to make a double batch to being for passover and just curious if you think it would work or if better off making two separate batches.
Thanks for the perfect timing of this recipe!!
We buy these from our local Italian bakery – Sal & Dom’s in the Bronx (there are several sitting on my kitchen counter right now that were purchased yesterday.) They make them as horns, but also as flat oval-shapes, with either raspberry or apricot jam in a well down the center. Plus, they still have dark chocolate on both ends!
Hi! This recipe looks heavenly, and I can’t wait to try, as my family loves anything with almond paste. Thought I would mention that if this is used for Passover the almond paste must be kosher for passover. Hard to find, trust me. In the past I made my own almond paste, and then discovered that the American Almond company in Brooklyn made a large commercial size that was kosher for Passover. I think that year it was $60 with shipping. I never used all of it, but what a convenience! However, I recently was told that our kosher grocery store in Maryland carried smaller home use size almond paste in their section of kosher for Passover foods. Worth checking for in your local kosher mart, or looking on the American Almond company website.
Where in Maryland did you find pesadich almond paste? Five Mile Market? Blah, closed for Passover, never mind.
UGH. I just discovered these at Trader Joe’s and devoured an entire box in one afternoon!! Thank you for these totally necessary calories. ;)
I saw this post in the parking lot of Wegman’s (Maryland)–I was looking up your potato kugel recipe–and added almond paste to my shopping list. It was not easy to find at first; Wegman’s had it on a low shelf in the baking aisle, just above cans of pumpkin pie filling. But they do carry two brands of the paste: Odense and Solo, as well as Odense marzipan. I compared ingredients and both Odense products have almost identical lists: almonds, sugar, glucose syrup (wheat starch) and water. I can’t wait to make these! The paste lists almonds (45%) first, then sugar. Marzipan lists sugar first, then almonds (28%). Interestingly, the marzipan was .30 cheaper than the paste. (Me, get caught up in minute details? Why would you ever think that?!?)
These look great. Right now we are busy baking Easter cookies, but after the holidays I am definitely going to give these a try. Thanks for sharing! Happy Passover :)
One of my fond-est childhood memorys are these, since my grandma brought them every tuesday for our coffee break!
Try to glaze them with apricot jam before dipping them in chocolate – thats how they re made in berlin :)
Best wishes
Made these today because every time I go to Solvang, I get almond horns from one of the wonderful bakeries in town. These were super easy to make and completely delicious. These cookies will be in my repertoire for sure!!!
I love almond paste and live in Germany. I had to laugh, bakeries do have Mandelhörnchen, Nussecken und viel Kuchen sorts. Lots of danisches with nuts or poppyseed too. Most towns have a Bakery as well. Also, Brezen dipped in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds . I go for all the yummy bread mostly. Büssi from Fiona
What could I have done wrong that resulted in only getting 6 cookies from the batter?
I only got 8…
I was very careful about making sure each cookie was just one tablespoon of dough, and I eeked out 13.
I make my own almond paste every Christmas…. Is a Dutch thing…. But I always overestimate how much I will actually use and throw a pile in the freezer which leads me to discover the left overs from the year before that I didn’t use up the way I intended. What was your home made almond paste made of? Mine has 3c ground almonds, 3c sugar 3 eggs, and lemon juice. Any tips on what I can do to keep it from melting?
Sad this recipe makes only 10 cookies! They are delicious. What’s are your recommendations for doubling the recipe?
Sad this recipe makes only 10 cookies! They are delicious. What are your recommendations for doubling the recipe?
Oh the toasty good ness of these. I just made them and the taste and smell are driving me mad. I must go and have another. -Thank you Hanne
Just made these!!! I ran into a little trouble with mixing the almond paste with the sugar in the stand mixer. Seemed to make it into a paste no matter how high I would set it. Ultimately I just added the egg white and salt and continued with the recipe. They turned out great so I don’t think it really matters but in case anyone else runs into that situation I would recommend forging ahead. So excited to bring them to Seder tomorrow night!!!
Agree. Did the same. Once the egg was in there it started to come together
I made these immediately! They are truly wonderful and so fast.
Loving these almond-studded bickies – and the choc-dipped end makes a good thing even better :)
So, I actually thought this was going to be my first “Deb” recipe that failed. But I stuck with it and here is what I learned.
1) I tried to double the recipe and well that worked but not at first. I had to do the almond paste and sugar in two batches. My kitchen aide is a smaller one I think 4.5 qt. once the sugar and almond paste were combined I could combine the doubled paste and sugar to my mixer and add in the eggs and proceed.
2) I had massive issues rolling out the dough. It kept getting to thin and breaking and I couldn’t roll it in the almonds. After a few attempts and ready to give up I started rolling them into about two inch thick logs a little smaller than the width of my palm. Then I placed it in the almonds wiped my hands dry and rolled out in the almonds until about the four inches. It kept the logs even thickness and was super easy to roll and transfer to the cookie sheet. I have not dipped them in chocolate yet but did taste one and they are really good. Hope this helps others.
How would marzipan be as a crust for a lemon tart? I promised to take one for Easter and I am wondering… thank you…<>
aaaahh these will go into the folder of 2017 Christmas cookies. I try to be strict with myself and not bake too many goodies the rest of the year :) and btw, of course you are completely right with your picture of Germany. we do love ourselves some tasty baked stuff… btw, have you ever tried Bethmännchen? they are made from marzipan, rose water, ground almonds and egg yolk (perfect opportunity to use the leftover yolk from this recipe, don’t you think?) and are decorated with almond halfs. I think you would love them, too.
Wow! Delicious :)
Wow! This is the recipe for pignolis! Okay, well almost. Switch the almonds for pine nuts and you have pignolis. It’s also almost the recipe for kransekake! Plenty for almond lovers!
I only have a hand mixer. Usually that’s not really a problem, but here it was pretty challenging — no automatic turning, no paddle. And yes those pieces went flying. I ended up just kneading in the sugar with my hands and then added the egg white with the mixer. I really appreciated your “will seem weird at first but do your best” instruction, because it sure did seem weird. They just came out of the oven and look great
Hmm, you know that they (the people in Europe and those that migrated to US and other places)made these before there were any mixers and blenders. Weird maybe, but our ancestors did manage.
Enjoy 😊
Hana – Of course, you’re right! Doing it the old-fashioned way will be a good arm workout. Now that NYC weather has finally warmed up, and I’m wearing a tee shirt, I have Michelle Obama triceps goals. Oh how I miss her beautiful triceps. PLUS everything else.
oh how i agree
Deb – I don’t have a standing mixer either. Thanks for outlining how it went (flying)with the hand mixer, Susie. What do you guys think about using a food processor to combine the almond paste, sugar & egg white?
I bet it would work well—like these amaretti cookies, which have the same ingredients in different proportions (more sugar, 1 less egg white) as the base cookie here: https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/chewy-amaretti-cookies/
Yes – thank you for the link, Laura W.! David Lebovitz’s Almond Cake recipe, which I mentioned in a previous comment, also instructs one to use the food processor to mix up almond paste. It takes a village, right? :o)
I made these with a food processor yesterday and it worked just fine! Just had to watch out for the blades in scooping out spoonfuls of dough.
Sorry for the delay on this. Another time-tested method for using almond paste is to grate it on the large holes of a box grater. This is in fact what she recommends in the book, I just found the stand mixer simpler. It doesn’t sound like everyone agrees; I’ll add this to the recipe.
If you want to know how to make almond paste, get the book Chocolates & Confections by Peter P. Greweling. Hope this saves you some research.
Like gazelle horns in North Africa! Only they’re rolled in powdered sugar, dipped in orange blossom or rose water, dipped in powdered sugar, and repeat. Forms a delicious crust of powdered sugar around the whole cookie.
Big hit at tonight’s Seder! Anything with almond paste makes my family happy.
Don’t worry, there are indeed bakeries on every corner in Germany that sell Mandelhörnchen. And a few other noteworthy treats. :)
I could not get the almond paste to break up completely in the mixer. I added the egg white and was happy to see that it then dissolved completely. Phew.
And oh, were they delicious!
These cookies seem Passover approved. I may try baking these over the weekend – to make sure they look like yours before taking them to a sedar. I love almonds. Chocolate and sprinkles as well. I have a gigantic Restaurant Depot size sprinkle container.
No that’s pretty much Germany. I could look out my window and see school children of all ages swing in to the bakerei on their way home from school and emerge with huge soft pretzels, almond horns like these, elephant ears, or a dozen other choices.
Have you tried subbing sugar with coconut sugar or maple syrup?
This looks like the perfect compliment to a cup of coffee!
You always have such perfect light in your photos! Do you just have a ton of great natural light in your kitchen or do you use a light bar for your photos?
Thanks. I just shoot during the daytime (when I’m working). The light is pretty good but I brighten if needed in editing (and it’s usually needed).
I came here hoping to find a good dairy-free, wheat free dessert recipe and this is the first thing I saw. Thank you!
My vegan, gluten free nephew will be visiting soon. Any specifc vegan egg substitute or chocolate recommended so I can make these cookies for him? Any suggestions on doubling the recipe? Thanks Deb!
Flax eggs work in some recipes, but I’m not sure I’d trust it here. With so few ingredients, the egg white is more instrumental than it might be in other recipes.
Just made them this morning. I made them in the food processor which was so easy from grinding the almond paste to combining the ingredients. I got exactly 11 cookies by using my small 1Tbl cookie scoop to portion them out. All dipped AND SPRINKLED…(“optional, but of course I wanted to”). Now to leave them alone until tomorrow!!!
Pro Baker tip…. Freeze the dough first, then measure and shape. Your world just got a whole lot easier.
Almond paste turns out to be very hard to get around here unless it’s Christmas, so I’m making my own from a recipe that calls for 1 1/2 C ground almonds, 1 1/2 C confectioner’s sugar, 1-2 teaspoons almond extract and one egg white. It came together pretty well when I mixed it by hand and kneaded it a little. Also it is delicious. Here’s hoping it makes a good batch of cookies.
Made this this morning and all but one (which is currently in the freezer as a test) are now eaten. By three people. I found this to be an easy recipe and figure if anyone had a problem it could have been due to differences in brands of almond paste.. I found “solo” brand at our larger-chain supermarket and it resulted in a very workable dough. I did need to use the suggested towel trick to prevent almond paste bits from flying while mixing and can understand why people thought to use a food processor (though it wasn’t a huge deal to stay with the mixer for a few minutes). End result was pretty, fancy, and very yummy!
Just to add I used a 50 cookie scoop resulting in 11-ish cookies and I can’t believe these were ever made without sprinkles.
These are one of my favorite cookies and I have now made them many times. The dough varies even when using the same brand of almond paste (I alternate between Solo and Odense) and is sometimes easy and other times very moist and hard to handle. I sometimes hold back a little egg white until I see what I have. I have some in the oven now and have 13. Hope this helps someone.
I’ve made these twice already and they were so easy and delicious! I got rave reviews from the few select folks I shared with. I ended up just drizzling chocolate on the second batch, but still did the sprinkles (obviously)! Thank you again, Deb!!
I just made these with marzipan–all I could find at the store I went to. They’re tasty but flat and very sticky. :( I even refrigerated the dough before shaping it into cookies, but by the time they were on the baking sheet they were so, so soft. I don’t have a stand mixer so used a hand mixer which didn’t really work for mixing marzipan and sugar, but all was fine once I added the egg white. I really love the idea of these cookies and they’re pretty quick and simple. I will have to look harder for almond paste in the hopes that that will make them turn out as real cookies rather than melted puddles of marzipan!
Refridgerating won’t make much difference as the dough doesn’t contain any fat that could harden when cold. Maybe using a bit less egg white might help?
These were fairly easy to make (the dough IS weird, but once you get into the swing of things it’s manageable) and delicious. I dipped the ends and coated the backs with chocolate. Chewy, crunchy almond heaven.
Lovely photos and recipe. I thought I’d share some knowledge I have about almond paste and marzipan from years of working with it. There is not US Standard of Identity for almond paste and marzipan in the US but there are some conventions. In the US, products called almond paste are made from more than 50% by weight almonds, sugar and possible flavorings. It is meant for use as an ingredient in cookie dough, cake batter and to make marzipan, a finished confection. Marzipan is usually made with 50% or less almonds, as little as 30%, sugar some of which is liquid sugar and flavorings. It is soft and pliable ready to use for sculpting small figures and for rolling to cover cakes, a more flavorful version of fondant. Because of the liquid sugar, marzipan is not idea for making almond horns or Italian macaroons. The batter might be too soft and will spread and flatten.
One trick professional bakers use is to add the egg whites a little at a time just until the paste is soft and pliable, depending on the requirements of their recipes.
As for additives, there are natural almond paste and marzipan products sold in the US. Almond paste isn’t more natural than marzipan. It just depends on who is making it.
This is fantastic to know — thank you.
I made these for Easter. They were super easy, although the dough was a little weird to work with. My family LOOOOVED them!! Really, really loved them. But everyone agreed that the chocolate was unnecessary.
These Mandelhörnchen remind me of my childhood. When I was little every bakery had them here in Germany. These days they seem to diasappear in the bakeries here. If you ever come to visit Germany you might try to find Mandelhörnchen in independent bakeries on the contryside or in smaller towns. The bakeries in bigger cities are mostly chains which usually don’t have them. As already mentioned in the comments the city of Lübeck in Northern Germany in “the” German marzipan town with its big Niederegger store. Anyway Northern Germany with its beautiful beaches and islands is nice to visit and the cafés up there are very famous for their “Torte”.
Almond cookies are always brilliant, I will try this out. Please keep up the good work
I used to get these at Gertel’s on the Lower East Side!– so good!– but sadly it closed some years ago.
These look divine. Almond is always one of those flavours that I find myself craving regularly, but my concern would be that several of these beauties would get snaffled down quicker than I could let them cool…
Ahhhh, how did I miss these before?! I’m a sucker for anything with almond paste. We make our own in class sometimes, and it seems to work ok, but there is a slight difference in texture. I wonder if processing it more would make a difference? Hmm…
I made these cookies for a gluten-free party, and they were a big hit! Check the label on your sprinkles, though – I couldn’t use the ones I bought, because they were made in a facility that processes wheat.
I made these last night. They were a little time-consuming and messy, but tasted good. At my husband’s request, we went the dip-the-whole-bottom-of-the-cookie in chocolate route. Nice texture, crunchy outside and softer inside. A success!
These were sooooo good. Thank goodness almond paste is a bit pricey or I’d be rocking in a corner sucking down my fourth batch. Very easy too, and got more than expected. I think the tiny dot style sprinkles pictured would be best to add a little crunch without a weird sweet sugar hit. I only had traditional and may have gone heavy, but found that they detracted from the overall yum. Baked great on a silpat. I love to bake and always feel guilty that I don’t have more gluten-free recipes – so thanks!! Your treats are all tops on my go to list….
The dough is wet but it worked-nice to have a gluten free dessert to bring to a potluck- I doubled it. Found marzipan in a small town in northern Vermont-must be everywhere!
I love anything almond, except almonds…..does that make sense ? That is the one nut that I avoid….
I have a tube of almond paste and am going to give this a try…..either I will crush up walnuts or pecans and use instead of almonds :) and just drizzle choc. over the top of them really well…..or maybe just leave some plain without any nuts….and cover all with choc…..
REALLY IMPORTANT
These cookies are NOT NECESSARILY GLUTEN FREE! I read the recipe and it looked that way to me. BUT the almond paste I bought, Odense, contained glucose syrup MADE FROM WHEAT.
I made the assumption….Odense didn’t claim GF. But I would have given these to my friend w/ Celiac. Because of my assumptions. So I wanted to save others from doing so.
Back to grating the almond paste (I’ll find something else for my friend).
This is really helpful – thank you!
4. Glucose Syrup
Why it’s on worry lists in the first place: Glucose syrup is typically made from corn in the U.S., although wheat is used more often in Europe.
Why you don’t have to worry: Glucose syrup is another highly processed ingredient and the processing removes harmful gluten protein. In fact, both the European Food Safety Authority and researchers in Finland have concluded that glucose syrup made from wheat can be safely included in the gluten-free diet. They tested glucose syrup and found it to be free of harmful levels of gluten. Also, a clinical study showed that patients with celiac disease who consumed glucose syrup for 24 weeks showed no signs of damage when biopsied.
Why that’s a good thing: Here’s an ingredient where processors, scientists, researchers and physicians all agree. With such strong evidence, you never have to worry about glucose syrup.
Is dipping in chocolate necessary or are they sweet enough without? I like chocolate, don’t get me wrong, but I want to make these for an event where transport is required and I don’t want to risk the chocolate melting.
Nope, not necessary at all.
I made these a few weeks ago, and draped choc. over the ends because it just looks so pretty. But I think they are actually BETTER without the chocolate. This is from a person who likes chocolate more than the next person–one of my favorite snacks is a handful of hazelnuts (aka filberts) and a piece of chocolate. (or several pieces . . . )
These were excellent – my German mother and gluten-free sisters loved them!
I make quantities of these and freeze them. Works beatifully, they retain their crunch and you’d never know that they had been frozen. When using an industrial size can of almond paste, this is the easiest way I have found, doing it in batches!
I use Odense or Solo almond paste whenever I can get my hands on them, although a friend once got me wonderful almond paste from Tuscany, moulded like bars of soap and wrapped in lovely blue-and-white waxed paper — if only I’d kept the wrappers! All of which is to say that I often have no choice but to make my own paste and it comes out just fine. I just like the shop-bought stuff because I’m fundamentally lazy. Anyway, speaking of David Lebovitz (everyone seems to have tried his almond cake except me), this is an absolutely fantastic cookie recipe of his that doesn’t involve almond paste in any shape or form. It’s ridiculously easy to make but I get raves every time I do make it. He gives you the option to roll the cookies in pine nuts not almonds at the end —
STICK WITH ALMONDS. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/italian-almond-cookies-amaretti-recipe/
When I was visiting Telluride, CO for a ski trip, we found a bakery selling these. I must have spent $100 over the course of a week on these cookies. That was in February and I have still been dreaming about these. I just picked up some almond paste and cannot wait to whip up a batch of these. Thank you!
These were delicious as written. I would like to throw a small variation out there; if you love almond+anise, add a 1/2tsp of anise seeds and a few drops of anise extract when you add the egg, proceed as written. Yum!
A bakery brought these to my local farmers’ market recently. They were offered in plain, or chocolate (it was mixed in-not just dipped-cocoa?)
I want to try this soon!
My mixer does not have a paddle. Can I use the regular beaters?
It depends on the almond paste — if it’s hard, a paddle might be easier, but if it’s hard, you could just grate it too first to get it started. Beaters should work just fine. Hope that helps.
Hi! Can I use a hand mixer for this? Or do I need a stand mixer? Sorry for the silly question, I’m a new baker!
Almond+Chocolate= Heaven! Mine actually flattened out quite a bit. I doubled the batch and the store only had one package of paste, so I used half marzipan and half paste. When I was grating them I noticed the marzipan was soft compared to the paste. Next time I make these, I hope to use all paste; I think that will prevent them from flattening. Also, I did not have any issues with the bits flying out of the mixture, probably due to grating the almond stuffs first. I’m definitely making these bad boys again!
O. M. G! Deb. I’m crying! I used to work at a little coffee shop in Atlanta that would get these from a local bakery and sell them. They were fantabulous, just as you describe: chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, a little bit of heaven in your mouth. When I went gluten free four years ago, I just thought these were on the verboten list. But no flour! If I weren’t in the middle of packing to move (in four days, and yes procrastinating here thank-you-very-much) I would make these Right Now. Thank you dear, you have saved me in so many small ways over the years I can’t even count.
Great
Hi Deb – I made this over x mas and found a homemade almond paste recipe and they came out perfect. Couldn’t find a single supermarket with the store bought stuff but this turned out even better and was much cheaper.
Here is the recipe I used:
1-1/2 cups blanched almonds (I used ground blanched almond meal from Trader Joe’s)
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 egg white
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
(So much cheaper than the store bought stuff – esp in NYC!)
Hi – when you made this did you use the entire amount to make the cookie recipe – and you did the recipe as is adding the egg as the recipe says even though there is egg in the homemade almond paste? thanks!
DEB would you consider drying the dough out in the frig for an hour or so or adding almond flour to make it more shapable.? I also mixed the dough in the cuisinart which worked very well. Hope they taste as good as they look.
Is it possible to use a sugar substitute like erythritol? I’m a newly diagnosed diabetic but love these!
I made these last year and was disappointed. I am not sure what I did wrong, but the dough/mix was so wet I had to essentially spoon it onto the baking sheet. Any suggestions?
It’s really soft, mine was too. I just had to work quickly to get it into shape and they set up in the oven.
I made these and oh boy! They are delicious and look amazing. I was making them with marzipan and whisking by hand, and nevertheless, they came out perfectly. I was reading other recipies and all of then called for ground almonds, but I decided to give this version a try and they are truly beautiful. The only concern is the temperature: I made the first batch (student life — toaster oven) at 180C and the almonds got toased faster than the rest of the cookie, so I dropped the temperature to 150C and then at the end raised it to toast the almonds for the second batch. Yum!
What did I do wrong? I followed recipe exactly but no matter what mix was too good to firm crescents and I got 8 round cookies instead. Ahk. So disappointed as that almond paste is $$$.
But I bet they were still yum!!! This is part of a post of mine about rolling out the cookies.
Hope it helps for next time.
I had massive issues rolling out the dough. It kept getting to thin and breaking and I couldn’t roll it in the almonds. After a few attempts and ready to give up I started rolling them into about two inch thick logs a little smaller than the width of my palm. Then I placed it in the almonds wiped my hands dry and rolled out in the almonds until about the four inches. It kept the logs even thickness and was super easy to roll and transfer to the cookie sheet. I have not dipped them in chocolate yet but did taste one and they are really good. Hope this helps others.
The easiest cookie ever, and turns out so beautifully! Just perfect. I doubled the recipe and used a small scoop for 12 medium cookies.
Can I make these ahead of time and freeze them for the holidays?
I haven’t done it but I’d expect them to freeze fine.
As someone who was embarking on making this for the first time and looking for reviews from people who had or helpful tips , this may be Grinchy of me – on one hand glad your cookie post created so much stir, but it was a long time scrolling to actually come to someone who made it vs intending to or wanting to connect over Munich etc. It was like being in a bad group text in which people forget it isn’t their facebook.
I finally changed from all comments to made it tab, thankfully . Mine made 13 cookies with Odense almond paste and I mixed paste , sugar and egg in Cuisinart which worked well. Your pictures were helpful especially the one of the log roll in your hand and the need for a bowl of water.
I cooked them 3 more minutes and it seems better. I didn’t have sliced almonds so chopped some while attempting to slice them . it proved to be much harder I think to stick on without a larger flat surface but worked . Thanks for the recipe .
I just bought the 7 oz size at Target for under $5 – can’t wait to make these cookies.
I made these for an office cookie swap and they were a huge hit! It’s worth mentioning that they are super easy to make. I made 72 small cookies by quadrupling the recipe and they came out perfectly. The ingredient list is simple and took an hour to make 6 dozen! One of my co-workers is GF and she said they were the best cookies she’s ever had, especially because they were meant to be GF, no substitutions needed!
I made these with homemade almond paste. It had been in the freezer, so I’m not sure that matters but I doubt it. Because you said they spread too much with the homemade, I didn’t add the sugar to the homemade batch. They are nice and puffy in the oven. Thanks for the recipe, I love almond horns!
I made your almond horns and was pleased with the results.
Wondering if I can put the batter into the fridge for a bit to allow me to more easily roll-out the horns for a more exact shape.
Thank you for taking the time time to read and answer all your email.
Wishing you a safe, health and joyous New Year.
Lloyd
I haven’t tried putting the almond horn dough in the fridge, but it might help a bit — I know it’s stressfully soft.
And thank you. I try to read and respond to every comment on the site and on socials. I have all but given up on email, however, though I read it all, just don’t have the time to type up individual responses to complex questions right now.
I made these today. Also have fond memories of living in Munich where indeed it seemed like there was a bakery on every corner selling these. Mine turned out wonderfully. I used Odense almond paste. Spread chocolate on the backs. Didn’t need nearly as much chocolate as the recipe called for even though I spread it thickly. Great recipe and great tips on how to manage the dough. I grated the almond paste into the bowl.
These were my mother’s favorite, too!
Found a recipe online for homemade almond paste using almond flour. Trying this for passover and will let you know if it works – MUCH CHEAPER than the store bought, esp if you buy the trader’s joe’s brand.
https://theseasidebaker.com/how-to-make-homemade-almond-paste/
Made these the other night … i wanted to bake but didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. These did not disappoint!! so few ingredients, for a really lovely cookie. And so fun to make too. i went all the way with the chocolate and sprinkles and they look like they came from a fine bakery! would be interested in a recipe that included some flour, just as intense almond flavor, but that produced more then 11 cookies, which is what i got.
I decided to make my own almond paste since I didn’t know where to buy it. Once I added the egg white to the paste, I had slop. So I added about 1/3 c almond flour. It made the dough dense but manageable. The cookies came out puffed and perfect! They taste great to me, but as I’ve never had them before, can’t say if the texture was any different. I made two batches, as I only got a dozen cookies from the recipe.
Lovely cookie and very easy, though the tips about handling the soft dough were appreciated. I made somewhat smaller cookies using a 2 tsp. scoop (my 2-1/4 tsp yeast spoon, leveled, actually) and got 16 nice sized cookies.
Gurrrrl…these are fabulous. Actually quite easy to make thanks to your explicit instructions. I forgot to add the sea salt to the batter so I did a super light sprinkle pre-bake on the tops of the dough and I must say, I love the more prominent salty vibe juxtaposed against the sweet almond paste and dark chocolate. I also toasted my nuts in advance, These are in my Top 5 Cookies. THANK YOU!
Oh, and I got 20 cookies and they were not super small.
Can you sub a food processor for stand mixer?
I haven’t tried it but I think it could work.
Deb I used my food processor and they came out great! I also made my own almond paste
In a food processor combine
1 1/2 cups almond flour (I used trader Joes)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I pureed regular sugar in a blender to make powder)
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 egg white
Turn food processor on until you get a ball. It makes about 10 ounces – but you only need 7 ounces for the recipe – so take like 1/3 of it out – then continue with Deb’s recipe.
They came out amazing!
I also used pine nuts (pignoli) instead of the almonds.
I made these ( eight cookies) and enjoyed them even without the chocolate and the sprinkles. So if you don’t have time/inclination to complete those two steps, you can still find them delightful.
I used marzipan because I couldn’t find almond paste. I wish I had read Patricia Martel’s comments first about adding the egg white a bit at a time because I ended up with a dough so soft my only recourse was to drop half tablespoon puddles onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle the almonds on top. The cookie is still tasty, but not a horn shape. These are expensive so I’ll make a different cookie next time.
I followed the recipe, except my store only had solo almond paste, so I used 8oz, and then added 2 TBL of extra sugar. I had an extra large egg white too. It all came together great and wetting my hands helped a lot! It made 22 baby horns with my smallest cookie scoop and they were still about 3”.
This recipe was delicious. First time working with almond paste. I was glad I had a mixer but overall I thought this was NOT difficult. Thanks so much for sharing. I will add to my Christmas rotation. Thank you!!!
wanted to add that after going to four stores to find almond paste during Christmas, I finally found the Odense brand almond paste at a large grocery store chain. It worked beautifully; I was glad I decided to pay more and buy this brand instead of Solo–wonder if it made a difference. Once I figured out how to cut open the package, the recipe worked beautifully.
These tasted super. I used store bought almond paste, as you suggested, & mine were very soft & went very flat. They were difficult to hold together because they were so soft. I’ll try these again, but, with different almond paste.
They batter was so liquid that it was dripping off the spoon. Impossible to roll! I added some almond meal, and that firmed it up enough to shape. They puffed up nicely in the oven and taste great, so I guess that was an ok addition.
I made a very similar version of Mandelhörnchen with a friend who has made them for years. We tried making our own almond paste as well. While they tasted wonderful, they were flat versions of the expected crescent shape. It was my first experience making my own almond paste but I too will be using the expensive store bought version for this recipe at least. If you ever work this out, please share.
How is almond paste made? Does it contain sugar? I’m on a keto/low carb diet and don’t eat sugar, but there are many really good sugar substitutes that I’ve been using in baking…
Yes, almond paste has a lot of sugar in it.
Have these in the oven now, got 12 out of the recipe using a scant tablespoon per cookie which looks like plenty of cookie to me. Very different “dough” and messy but, as previously noted, once you get the hang of it it comes together quickly. The bowl of water is a MUST.
I made these in my food processor —- first mixing the sugar and paste together until they were tiny peas then adding egg white and salt until a dough —- as I don’t have have a stand mixer and the dough came together easily. I struggled with making the dough into horns and just made balls instead 🤷🏾♀️ Dipped them in chocolate after completely cooling. The flavor was amazing! The recipe is so simple and straightforward I’d love to make these again, next time trying to shape them.
Also I got about 10 cookies out of this even shaped as balls. They did puff and get golden!
My dough was extremely soft and the horns turned out completely flat! What did I do wrong? Should I add some almond meal maybe? Thanks!
We had difficulty getting these to roll out – they were very wet (likely too much egg white as I was trying to compensate foe the fact that my almond paste container was 8oz and adding more egg white/sugar to compensate). My daughter’s wet hands over the dough didn’t help. So I put it into a ziplock bag, snipped the corner and piped it only my almonds. Incredibly soft, but easier for us to handle. Cookies are delicious!
Made these for the second time (first time in February) so I knew what to expect however this time, per other comments, made them in the food processor. What a game changer, the “dough” came together easily and the shaping and almonding no problem but the bowl of water and wetting hands before shaping each cookie is key. I got 11 out of this batch and they are beautiful-will be using the leftover yolk to make your Meyer Lemon Cranberry scones!!!
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes
I’ve made these three times in the last two weeks. They are excellent! Thank you for yet another perfect recipe. Go Smitten Kitchen! Definitely calorie worthy.
I was wondering whether you could you use a food processor rather than a mixer to make the dough as I don’t have a stand mixer.
I haven’t tried it but I bet you could.
Any ideas for how to make these vegan- replacing the egg white with …? Thank you!!
Could I replace the egg white with aquafaba to make these vegan? I had no idea these were already dairy-free!
you are such a beautiful and wonderful chef, ms. smitten kitchen. many thousands, i’m sure, are grateful for you…
Can you use a hand mixer instead?
Yes, but sometimes the stand mixer’s paddle can be better at mashing up the almond paste.
I live in Germany and this is my FAVORITE cookie from our local bakery. I never dreamed of trying to make it at home but you’ve inspired me!
Is almond paste Kosher for Passover?
Ingredients are. You might be able to find brands with KP on the label.
Tonight was my first time making these, and I’ll be serving them tomorrow for Passover dinner with my family. Your directions (and warnings not to think I messed up when the dough was wet…) couldn’t have been better! These turned out perfectly! Thanks so much!
I made this with home made almond paste that I put in the freezer about 3 months ago. No idea what the recipe was now, annoyingly, but they came out fine. I do remember being a bit horrified by how wet the recipe was and adding more ground almonds so perhaps that did the trick. These biscuits are delicious even without being dipped in chocolate.
Do these freeze well?
Have a batch of these in the oven now and although I’ve made them before I have a couple of thoughts / tips. My previous batches were made with Odense brand, this one with Solo and the Solo brand was much easier / softer to mix (using a food processor). That being said the shaping process was a little more “challenging” but doable but the bowl of water is definitely key. I used 198 grams of the Solo (ate the rest, regret NOTHING).
Wow! This recipe is great. This may very well be the best cookie I’ve ever made. If you have trouble finding almond paste, you might as well make it on your own, maybe a day or two before you actually make the cookies. Also, extra sliced almonds, just in case, is a good idea. I’ve never had these with the sprinkles til this time and the texture added it truly an upgrade, cute too!
For wonderful almond paste/marzipan, check out scottscakes.com – better than store bought!
These cookies are the best!! I used my food processor to mix, and I used 8oz. of almond paste (what my grocery store had). They turned out beautiful- I love how unfussy they are; by that I mean no spritz gun to load and fight with! These are my new Christmas cookie favorite. And yes- I used sprinkles. Thanks Deb for another great recipe!
Would you please recommend a good almond paste and where to buy it? Thank you.
Nancy Scott Jones
My favorite is Odense. You can find it online if your local grocery store doesn’t have it. (Honestly the Amazon price isn’t bad at all right now, and one-day shipping.)
These look yummy…possibly a new Passover cookie
And you are spot-on about a bakery full of beautiful and yummy goodies like this on every corner of every German town! I’ve lived it and how I miss it all!!!!!
Good to know! I came to the comments with this question because my husband doesn’t like chocolate (gasp). I’m going to try it without, or possibly with white chocolate.
How can I make these vegan? Use egg substitute for the egg white? Do you recommend any of your other recipes that can be made vegan/Passover?
Thank you!!!!
As an experienced (old) baker, I have a suggestion. Use a fish spatula to transfer the dough from the almonds to the cookie sheet.
You can shake off the excess almonds and it makes the dough easier to handle.
Deb, my son and I made your almond horns this afternoon and your directions are P.E.R.F.E.C.T.!!! Ten horns. We grated the (Odense) almond paste & mixed by hand. Needed some elbow grease but worked well. When to wet your hands, when to dry your hands – thank you! Very wrong: like a fat, moist, albino worm???!!! YES. :o) But then you roll ’em in blanched almonds, curve ’em into a smile, and toast ’em to puffy golden perfection. Very excited. You rock. You always ROCK. <3
I’ve made these several times and they’re delicious. I typically make two modifications. First, the almond paste I buy is 8 oz and I use the full amount, which makes for a more manageable texture for me. The second change is a big one: I put the mixture in a piping bag with a large hole and pipe little mounds, like large Hershey kisses. Then when baked, I dip the bottoms of the kisses in chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. These have been a great shape for creating more cookies from one batch (about 2 dozen) and being easy to share/serve as one-bite treats. I’ve also made them as horns with the almonds and those are fantastic too.
Is there any way to soften these once they’ve gone hard?
You might try keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
Delicious. A G-F recipe where I don’t miss the gluten! The horn dough was too moist and difficult to roll. I used a XL egg for the white, so could be the issue. They weren’t pretty but were delicious. I used a food processor to mix, very easy, and Odense paste. I tried spooning the dough on to the cookie sheet and made a circle, again tasty but unattractive. Look forward to trying again!